After capturing an NBA championship, Sam Presti has checked off about every goal a general manager could have. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the winningest teams since he took over in 2007. One of the longest-tenured GMs in professional sports has been the architect of two title contenders.
All that said, it shouldn't be a surprise when others in his field call him for advice. Presti has been there and done that. He's undergone every scenario. From perfecting a rebuild to putting the final touches on a contender. The Thunder have had three MVP winners during their time, with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
After a shocking retirement, Andrew Luck has regained his itch for football. He was named the Stanford GM in Nov. 2024. It's a fairly new position in the college world, specifically college football. With NIL deals and conference realignments, the sudden changes in collegiate sports have forced schools to get creative and bring in a general manager to run their programs like professional sports teams.
Luck is a great choice for Stanford. He spent four college seasons there before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NFL draft. After battling with injuries, the quarterback shocked the sports world when he suddenly retired after just seven seasons in 2018.
As Luck gets used to his new office, he's reached out to professional GMs from across all sports. One was Presti. With ESPN's College GameDay in Norman, OK, the flagship show reported that those two people have interacted as Luck sought career advice from the NBA GM.
It's always good to absorb knowledge from those with rich experience and success. Even if Presti plays in a different playground with separate rules and sports. Roster-building philosophies can be universal, as Stanford hopes to be a competitive ACC program.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Stanford GM Andrew Luck seeks career advice from Sam Presti
